Apparatus for shallow-water boats.



C. H. FOWLER. APPARATUS FOR SHALLOW WATER BOATS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30.1914.

1,163,077. Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

D O O O O O O 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O 000 Z c o o o o o o o cllia Z w/mmEs l/VI/E/VTOR Y ATTORNEY- COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CO.,WAS!HNGTON. D. c.

CARL H. rowrnn, orunwronxfn. Y.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I, GARL l-l. FOWLER, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New Yorl-z, have I invented a certain new and useful Apparatus v for ShallowJVater Boats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus which can be installed. in boats intended to navigate through shallow water.

The object of the invention is to construct a simple apparatus which can be bolted or fastened to the bottom of any shallow water b0at,"even those. floating in a fewinches of water, and then a screw operated therein eflieiently as a power boat without slipping or racing of the propeller.

lln order that my invention may be clearly understood reference is hereby madev to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and illustrating A certain forms of ccnstructionby which my invention maybe carried out. i r

In the drawing, Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section through the apparatus which may be described as a removable tunnel, with'vacuum chamber attached,

propeller, engine and vacuum pump complete for installation in any flat bottomed boat. Fig. 2 represents atop plan view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a transversesectionon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4

represents a transverse vertical crosssection on the line 4% of Fig. 1, partly shown in perspective.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus which as stated may be applied as an attachment-to an existing boat intended to navi-,

gate through shallow a ater comprises a frame 1 preferablv made of steel or other suitable metal. Tlns frame 1s shaped to form a propeller chamber or tunnel within the bottom of the boat. frame 1 being provided with a horizontally extending flange 2 around the same provided with holes extending through the flanges through which bolts 3 may be passed to secure the frame to the bottom of the boat, it being understood that when the device is mounted in position ina boat. suitable section of the bottom of the boat is cut away. the horizontal flange 2 of" the frame being bolted or otherwise secured to the portion of the bottom of the boat surrounding the cutaway part so that the frame 1 will form a propeller chamber extending upwardly within the body of the boat and Specification of Letters Patent.

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Applicationfiled June 30,1914 Serial K018483259.

open at the bottom. v The opening in the of adiffer'ent shape if desired. The joint made between the frame 1 and the bott in of the boat is callred. or otherwise. made tight to prevent the entrance of water into the interior of the boat. Thepropeller char her thus formed is provided with an upwardly and rearwardly sloping forward wall or roof portion 1 and a downwardly and rearwardly sloping rear wall or roof portlon 5. A vacuum chamber 61s mounted upon frame 1 above the highest point of the chamber formed by frame 1 and opens into the chamber as shown. Chamber 6 may be mounted upon frame 1 in any suitable manner, but preferably in the manner shown in the drawings in which the lowe end of the horizontal chamber 6 is screw-threaded on its exterior and is screwed into a base pot tion 7 which is integral with or secured to the top of frame 1 surrounding the opening 8 therein leading into the propeller chamber Qformed by the frame 1.

The vacuum chamberfi. is provided with an exhaust pipe. lOleading to a vacuum pump llby which air-may be exhausted from the upper part of the vacuum chamher in order to draw water into the propeller chamber 9 and vacuum chamber 6 in order to permit the propeller within the propeller chamber to operate in a solid body of water. In my preferred construction. pipe 10 extends downwardly from the upper part of chamber 6 within the cham-. her and is led outwardly through the wall of chamber 6 near the base of the chamber for its connection with the vacuum pump, the pipe extending through a suitable water tight joint in the wall oft-he chamber. By this arrangement, a compact structure is formed which may be readily packed and shipped. A propellershaft'l2 is, provided extending through the forward wall" -1 of chamber 9 through a bearing 13 integral with or secured to the frame 1 in such manner as to make a substantially water tight joint. The shaft 12 is adapted to be rotated by an engine 14 of any suitable construction which "may be mounted within the boat, and a propeller 15 is mounted within chamber 9 upon the end of shaft 12. Pref erably, shaft 12' so mounted as a be. sub

has beencutor a section removed of the s1de ofthe ins de dimensions of the flanged stantially parallel the rear- Wallh of the propeller chamber and also preferably rear wall 50f the'pr'opeller chamber slopes at a more gradual angle and is longer than the forward ivall portion a of the chamber.

A manhole 16 may be provided to cover an opening in the upper part of frame l vvhich may be opened for the inspection of the propeller When the apparatus has been mounted in place in a boat. j

From the above, it Will be evident that by my invention a detachable propeller I chamber and coactingYparts are provided which maybe mounted in place upon the bottom'of an ordinary boat in Which a hole "base of the frame v 1 sothat anordinary flat portion,'a Ivacuum c'hamber'mounted upon 7 bottom boat or other shallow: draft boat may be converted into a power boat operated by a propeller, still able to navigate in very shalloiv Water. I

said frame, and communicating 'With the e chamber formed by said. frame a vaouum pump mounted ,on said frame, and an-eX- haust pipe extending from theupper por--" tion of the interior vof said vacuum cham her through the lower portion ofthe 'Wall 'of said chamber-and connected to said pump, said frame having a bearing on the forward Wall thereof through Which a propeller shaft may be extended intothe interior of said frame, substantially as set forth. v

As an attachment adapted to be mounted in a boat about an opening in the bottom ofthe boat, a removable tunnel comprising a frame shaped to form an up- Wardly rising cl1amber,lsaid frame having 7 a flanged base portion,a vacuumchamber mounted upon saidframe and communicat. mg With the chamber formed by said frame, and an exhaust pipe extending from the upper portion of the interior of'said vacuum chamber through the lower portion of the Wall of said chamber, and, adapted to be connected to a vacuum pump, said frame having a bearing on the forward Wall thereof through which a propeller shaft may be extended into the interior of said frame, substantially asset forth.

Thisspecification signed and witnessed this 27th day of June, 1914.

, CARL. H. FOWLER. WVitn'es'ses: V we a R. BROWN,

CHARLES N. TIFFIN,

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five'cents each, by addressing the Commissioner oi Patents,

Washington, Dill? 

